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Walpurgite Mineral Data

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General Walpurgite Information

Help on Chemical  Formula: Chemical Formula: Bi4(UO2)(AsO4)2O4•2(H2O)
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 1,483.82 gm
   Uranium   16.04 %  U    18.20 % UO2
   Bismuth   56.34 %  Bi   62.81 % Bi2O3
   Arsenic   10.10 %  As   15.49 % As2O5
   Hydrogen   0.27 %  H     2.43 % H2O
   Oxygen    17.25 %  O
            ______        ______ 
            100.00 %       98.92 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: Bi4(UO2)(AsO4)2O4•2(H2O)
Help on Environment: Environment: Oxidized polymetallic ore deposit.
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1871
Help on Locality: Locality: Walpurgis vein, Weisse Hirsch mine, Neustadtel, Schneeberg, Saxony, Germany. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: Named for the locality.
Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation: Walpurgite + Pronunciation Say WALPURGITE
Help on Synonym: Synonym: ICSD 31266
  PDF 42-587
  Phosphate-walpurgite
 

Walpurgite Image

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  Walpurgite

Comments: Clear, yellow laths of walpurgite crystals.
Location: Schneesberg, Saxony, Germany. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

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  Walpurgite

Comments: Elongated, pale yellow, triclinic crystalline aggregate of walpurgite on calcite.
Location: Walpurgis Flacher vein, Weißer Hirsch Mine, Neustädtel, Schneeberg District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany. Scale: Crystal size 1 cm.
© Paul M. Schumacher

Walpurgite Crystallography

Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:b:c =0.6829:1:0.5258
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 7.13, b = 10.44, c = 5.49, Z = 1; alpha = 104.667°, beta = 110.817°, gamma = 88.283° V = 369.37 Den(Calc)= 6.67
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Triclinic - Pinacoidal H-M Symbol ( 1) Space Group: P1
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 3.11(1), 3.05(0.5), 3.25(0.5),
 

Physical Properties of Walpurgite

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage: {010} Perfect
Help on Color: Color: Colorless, Straw yellow, Wax yellow.
Help on Density: Density: 5.95
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Transparent to Translucent
Help on Fracture: Fracture: Brittle - Generally displayed by glasses and most non-metallic minerals.
Help on Habit: Habit: Lath - Shaped like a small, thin plaster lath, tabular (rectangular) in shape.
Help on Habit: Habit: Radial - Crystals radiate from a center without producing stellar forms (e.g. stibnite)
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 3.5 - Copper Penny
Help on Luster: Luster: Adamantine - Greasy
Help on Streak: Streak: yellow white
 

Optical Properties of Walpurgite

Help on Gladstone-Dale: Gladstone-Dale: CI meas= -0.082 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.036 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1423,KPDmeas= 0.1597,KC= 0.1476
Ncalc = 1.88 - 1.99
Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Biaxial (-), a=1.871, b=1.975, g=2.005, bire=0.1340, 2V(Calc)=54, 2V(Meas)=52.
 

Calculated Properties of Walpurgite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=5.60 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Walpurgite =6.68 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.0012387819
Boson Index = 0.9987612181
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PEWalpurgite =1,523.30 barns/electron
U=PEWalpurgite x relectron=8,531.05 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity:

GRapi = 1,146,367.29 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Walpurgite per GRapi unit = 872.32 (PPB)

Walpurgite is Radioactive as defined in 49 CFR 173.403. Greater than 70 Bq / gram.

Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 10 cm box) 26.53 ± 6.63 grams of pure Walpurgite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 2653.3 ±663.33 grams of pure Walpurgite .

Estimated Radioactivity from Walpurgite - very strong
Specimen
Size
Weight/Volume
(Sphere)
*
Calculated
Activity
Bequerols
(Bq)
Calculated
Activity
Curies (Ci)
Estimated
Activity
GR(api)
Estimated
Exposure
(mRem**)/hr
If Held in Hand
For One Hour
1000 gm / 6.59 cm 28,714,596 7.76E-04 1,146,367.29 376.89
100 gm / 3.06 cm 2,871,460 7.76E-05 114,636.73 37.69
10 gm / 1.42 cm 287,146 7.76E-06 11,463.67 3.77
1 gm / 6.59 mm 28,715 7.76E-07 1,146.37 0.38
0.1 gm / 3.06 mm 2,871 7.76E-08 114.64 0.04
0.01 gm / 1.42 mm 287 7.76E-09 11.46 0.00
0.001 gm / 0.66 mm 29 7.76E-10 1.15 0.00

Weight of pure Walpurgite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 6.68 gm/cc.*
Goverment Estimate of Average Annual Exposure ( 360 mRem) **
Note: 10 microsieverts/hr = 1 mRem/hr **
Max Permissable Adult Dose 50,000 mRem/yr (hands), 15,000 mRem/yr (eyes)
Lethal Dose LD(50) Exposure 400,000 to 500,000 mRem
 

Walpurgite Classification

Help on  Dana Class: Dana Class: 40.05.09.01 (40)Hydrated Phosphates, etc
  (40.05)with miscellaneous formulae
  (40.05.09)Walpurgite Group
 
40.05.09.01 Walpurgite Bi4(UO2)(AsO4)2O4•2(H2O) P1 1
 
40.05.09.02 Orthowalpurgite (UO2)Bi4O4(AsO4)2•2(H2O) Pbcm 2/m 2/m 2/m
 
40.05.09.03 Phosphowalpurgite! (UO2)Bi4(PO4)O4•2(H2O) P1 1
Help on  Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 08.EA.05 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
  08.E - Uranyl Phosphates and Arsenates
  08.EA -UO2:RO4 = 1:2
 
08.EA.05 Orthowalpurgite (UO2)Bi4O4(AsO4)2•2(H2O) Pbcm 2/m 2/m 2/m
 
08.EA.05 Walpurgite Bi4(UO2)(AsO4)2O4•2(H2O) P1 1
 
08.EA.05 Phosphowalpurgite! (UO2)Bi4(PO4)O4•2(H2O) P1 1
 

Other Walpurgite Information

Help on References: References: NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Dana8)
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Walpurgite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - GeoScienceWorld
7 - Google Images
8 - Google Scholar
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - MinDAT
12 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
13 - Online Mineral Museum
14 - QUT Mineral Atlas
15 - Ruff.Info
16 - Uranium Minerals
17 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Walpurgite Specimen Label here :

Walpurgite

Bi4(UO2)(AsO4)2O4•2(H2O)
Dana No: 40.05.09.01 Strunz No: 08.EA.05
Locality:

 

Notes:

 

 
   
 


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